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11 Vital Questions For Boat Buyers

Buying a boat is a big deal!

It’s a significant investment and as a VIP member of GulfStreamBoatSales.com I want to help you make sure that you buy a great boat for you and your family.

Being aware of the potential issues that can arise in the boat buying process will help you to avoid the pitfalls and ensure that your money is well spent.

You should be able to enjoy your new boat, safe in the knowledge that your title is good and the boat is in seaworthy condition.

Do NOT buy a boat without knowing the answers to the following questions

  1. Is the broker a member of a relevant trade association and do they adhere to a code of conduct?
  2. If buying a brokerage boat, will your purchase monies be paid into and held in a designated client account until the transaction is completed?
  3. If buying a new or used stock boat, are you aware of the stage payment arrangements and when title in the boat transfers to you?
  4. Is there marine finance on the boat you are buying and what are arrangements for discharge of it prior to completion of the purchase?
  5. Will you be issued with appropriate Title Documentation when you purchase the boat? What forms of Title Documentation will be provided? E.g. Bills of Sale, original purchase invoice, evidence of VAT status, Part 1 Registration, builder’s certificate, evidence of compliance with the EU Recreational Craft Directive etc
  6. Does the broker use approved standard forms of contract between seller and purchaser?
  7. Will you have suitable opportunity to inspect, sea trial and/or have the boat surveyed prior to payment of a non-refundable deposit and completion of the sale? Is the broker accommodating in helping to arrange inspections, sea trials and surveys?
  8. What exactly is included in the purchase price of the boat? Do you have a written inventory list?
  9. Is the broker completely transparent about the purchasing process? Do you know at what stage in the process the title in the boat transfers to you and you become responsible for insurance and/or costs associated with the storage, transport of the boat etc?
  10. What are the specific arrangements for handover of the boat to you upon completion?
  11. What support, if any, is available to you once the purchase is completed? Is there any warranty on the boat or engine? Will the broker assist with arrangements after the purchase, such as storage, delivery, maintenance, boat registration, training etc?

I take these considerations very seriously and find that the better informed you are through the buying process the more smoothly it goes for everyone involved.

My aim is to ensure that you know exactly what you are getting when you buy a boat from GulfStream Boat Sales, and the details are taken care of, so that all you have to worry about once the deal is done is the weather!

I know it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying a boat and over-look issues, whether with the integrity of the boat or the legalities of the purchase, that can later come back to bother you.

I urge you strongly to pay attention to the essentials above and I can assure you that if you buy through us you will know the answers to these questions and more, so that you can buy with confidence and get a boat that you and your family can enjoy with complete peace of mind.

If you have questions on anything mentioned please leave a comment below or call me on +44 (0) 28 7136 8779. I’ll be happy to hear from you!

Niall Heaney MEng, Managing Director, GulfStream Marine Ltd

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The Buying Process

At GulfStreamBoatSales.com we have a defined and simplified purchasing experience that we go through with every customer. Whether you are buying a new boat, used stock or a brokerage boat it’s a straightforward, step-by-step process that means that you know exactly where you stand at every stage and you finish with the perfect boat for you.

Our guiding philosophy is that the buyer and seller need to be happy at every stage of the process and we will bend over backwards to ensure that this is the case.

Buying a Used Stock Boat

  1. Talk to us – If you can’t stretch your budget to a new boat but would still like the peace of mind that comes from buying one of our own approved used boats then let us know and we will do our best to find something that meets your needs.
  2. See the boats ‘in the flesh’ – All of our own used stock is available to view either in our showrooms or on the water at our home marina in the north west of Ireland.
  3. On the water demonstration – Where possible we will arrange for you and your family to get a sea trial in the boat of your choice.
  4. Deposit – Once you have selected the boat for you and we have agreed a deal we will complete and sign a purchase contract and take a holding deposit payment.
  5. Inspection, sea trial and survey – Once a deal has been agreed and deposit received the boat will be made available to you for inspection, sea trial and, if desired, a condition survey to be carried out by a professional surveyor. If you decide at any stage that the boat is not for you, your deposit is fully refundable.
  6. Handover – Prior to paying the balance of the boat we will conduct a detailed handover of your new boat to you. We will take as much time as you need to familiarise yourself with the operation and performance of your new boat. We can run through everything from launching and recovering, berthing, handling, and operating on board systems to carrying out daily engine checks and generally looking after the boat and its crew.
  7. Delivery – Following the satisfactory handover of your new boat and once we are in receipt of cleared funds we can arrange the delivery of your new boat to your home berth.
  8. Have fun – All that remains to do is enjoy your boat with family and friends! With all our approved used boats we offer a minimum 6 months warranty to cover the boat structure, engine and propulsion systems and main onboard systems. If you need us for anything we are never more than a phone call away.

Buying a Brokerage Boat

  1. Choose the boat that best meets your needs – Speak to us and we will do our best to help you figure out the type of boat that is most suitable for you.
  2. Enquiry stage – Following your initial enquiry we will answer any questions that you may have and provide any additional information that you might need – including photos of specific areas of interest, confirmation of specific details etc.
  3. Submitting an offer – Once you have decided that the boat is right for you, you can either travel to view the boat or make an offer right away. All offers submitted at this stage are subject to viewing and satisfactory completion of a sea trail and/or an independent condition survey.
  4. Agreeing a deal – We submit all offers in writing to the seller of the boat. We will work with both the seller and purchaser to conclude the best deal that is agreeable to both parties.
  5. Holding deposit – Once a deal is agreed we will complete a Contract of Sale, to be signed by both the seller and the buyer and we will request a deposit payment. Deposits are protected and held in our dedicated client account. In all cases where the buyer has paid a deposit prior to physically seeing the boat or where stipulated that the offer is subject to survey and/or sea trial, the deposit amount is fully refundable. If the purchaser has agreed to cover lift-in costs etc or requested additional work to be carried out to the boat, these amounts are non-refundable.
  6. Inspection, sea trial and survey – Once a deal has been agreed and deposit received the boat will be made available to you for inspection, sea trial and, if desired, a condition survey to be carried out by a professional surveyor. Following the outcome of this stage the sale is normally confirmed and a completion date set. In some cases if the sea trial or survey raises unknown problems the sale price can be re-negotiated accordingly or the sale can be abandoned if the buyer so wishes. In such instances any deposits paid are refundable.
  7. Completion – On or prior to the stipulated completion date the balance of the purchase price will be paid into our client account. Once we are in receipt of cleared funds ownership in the boat is transferred to the purchaser and the relevant paperwork is issued.
  8. Delivery – After completion of the sale we can work with you to arrange for delivery of the boat to your home berth. You can of course also arrange to collect the boat yourself from our premises.
  9. Have fun – Enjoy your new boat with family and friends!
  10. Special Requirements – The above stages outline the typical steps in the purchase of a brokerage boat but if you have any special or unusual requirements we will do our best to accommodate you. We have experience in helping you to arrange finance, insurance, worldwide transport, travel, airport transfers, accommodation etc. Basically if you need it we can help to arrange it!

Buying a Brand New Bayliner or Trophy

  1. Research the range – Find out the most up to date information on the range of new boats available at bayliner.com or trophyfishing.com
  2. Talk to us – We are always delighted to hear from you and we will do our best to advise on the best new boat for you that will best meet your needs.
  3. See the boats ‘in the flesh’ – Once you have decided on a particular boat or type of boat we recommend that you pay us a visit or come to a boat show to see the boat(s) that you are interested in. Sometimes it is not always possible to see the exact model that you are thinking about however we will do our best to show you a very similar boat or perhaps a used example to that you can get a very good idea of the space, features and performance of the new boat.
  4. On the water demonstration – Where possible we will arrange for you and your family to get a sea trial in the boat of your choice or one very similar. If you are still undecided after having a look at the boats in the showroom a great way to get a feel for the right boat for you is to attend one of our boat demo days where you can try out several different models on the water.
  5. Choose the boat that best meets your needs – After researching the range, seeing the boats in the flesh and getting out on the water all that remains to do is make your mind up!
  6. Choose the options – Once you have decided on the boat you can pick the colour and options that you like.
  7. In stock or build to order – After having specified the boat we have two options; the boat for you might be available from stock (either from our own stock holding or the Bayliner and Trophy European stock list) or we can arrange to have your specific boat built to your requirements. Buying a boat from stock means that you can get your new boat very quickly and often try the actual boat before you buy. When you specify a boat that is built to order you have the benefit of selecting exactly what you want provided you can wait that little bit longer to take delivery – typically 12-24 weeks.
  8. Deposit – Once you have selected the boat for you and we have agreed a deal we will complete and sign a purchase contract and take a deposit payment. If you change your mind after this stage we will obviously work with you to resolve the situation and refund your deposit, but in instances where the factory has already invoiced the boat this is generally not possible, so you need to be sure prior to placing your order.
  9. Stage Payments – When you specify a build to order date we will agree a payment schedule to cover build costs. Typically this will be a 30% deposit on placing the order, a 50% payment on completion of the boat build and the final 20% payable on handover of the boat.
  10. Handover – Prior to paying the balance of the boat we will conduct a detailed handover of your new boat to you. We will take as much time as you need to familiarise yourself with the operation and performance of your new boat. We can run through everything from launching and recovering, berthing, handling, and operating on board systems to carrying out daily engine checks and generally looking after the boat and its crew.
  11. Delivery – Following the satisfactory handover of your new boat and once we are in receipt of cleared funds we can arrange the delivery of your new boat to your home berth.
  12. Have fun – All that remains to do is enjoy your boat with family and friends, confident in the knowledge that you have a great boat backed up by the industry’s best warranty and aftercare package! And if you need us for anything we are never more than a phone call away.